Not A Monster
by queenie-riza
Summary: "Some would say a selfish greedy bastard. A murderer, a fiend, a vile wicked man. Perhaps even a monster." If not a prince, perhaps that is who he really was.


**A/N:** Written for Helsa week. I imagined this little scene taking place the same day of the Great Thaw or the next day. Either way, its before Hans was shipped back to the Southern Isles.

* * *

Queen Elsa stalked through the dark dank hallway of the castle's dungeons. At her request, she was alone; with her newfound ability to manipulate ice and snow, she was met with no objections. Despite stepping foot into the lower levels of her home only once in her life (as part of her prepping for taking over the throne), Elsa easily found her way to the cell she was looking for.

Standing in front of the wooden door, she glanced further down the hallway towards the cell she was held in just days prior. She shivered, but not for the cold. She brought her eyes to the floor in front of her.

"Your majesty…" A voice echoed, reaching her from inside the cell she stood at.

Elsa looked up through the small barred window of the door and saw him standing there.

Prince Hans of the Southern Isles refused to sit on the cold, wet stone bench against the wall. The ice in the dungeon had yet to fully thaw and all that was left of it were puddles of water collected in the dips of the stone floors.

"Prince Hans."

He scoffed and took in a breath. His boot kicked at a puddle. "Please." Hans spoke with an irritated slur. "I can't be considered a prince after all this. Once I'm home, they'll strip me of that title. It's not like it matters though, there's twelve others before me more suited for it."

Elsa held her tongue and only watched him.

"No, I'm not a prince anymore, my queen." He lifted his head to catch her stare. He only saw her eyes, a piercing blue.

"Then what are you?" Her lips uttered the words before she found a reason to stop herself.

Silence thickened the air. Elsa studied him, especially his eyes, wondering if he will answer without speaking.

Hans pressed his lips together, reluctant to play along but his inclination to humor her was too demanding.

"Some would say a selfish greedy bastard. A murderer, a fiend, a vile wicked man." His placid façade broke with a scoff. "Perhaps even a monster."

_Monster!_

Elsa could almost hear that damned Weselton duke's voice as clear as if he were in her face screaming his accusations, causing a scene, and turning her own people against her.

"You're not a monster." Her voice was weak and frail as she felt an ache deep inside her chest. She looked away from Hans, aware of his piqued attention at her opposition.

"...Queen Elsa, I was hell-bent on killing you. I left Princess Anna to die, I-"

"A selfish, wicked, murderous man, yes."

A piercing blue clashed with a brilliant green once more.

"But…" Elsa let out a steady breath. "When I ran away, having-"

"A tantrum."

The queen narrowed her eyes at the prince, dismissing his commentary. "A moment. And when Anna left to find me, she left you in charge."

Hans nodded.

"And you took care of everything. You helped my people and my kingdom get through the sudden winter while they were anything but prepared. And whether it was a ruse to gain their trust and loyalty or not, everything was kept in order because of you. You could have easily turned into a tyrant, taking advantage my sister's and my absence but you didn't. So…" Her voice started to shake as if she were forcing herself to say something she truly did not want to. "As queen, I have an obligation to thank you, for maintaining mostly peace among my people and not destroying the castle while we were away"

"As obligation."

"...Yes."

"You're welcome." Hans cleared his throat and kept his eyes on what he could see of her through the small barred window.

The two fell silent, lost in their own thoughts while mindful of each other's presence. Elsa started to turn to take her leave, having nothing more to say, but caught Hans' eye.

"Queen Elsa." He took a step forward, the chains binding his wrist rattled after him.

The queen paused and glanced back to him, her lips parted in silent protest.

"You…" He began with a breath. "You will be an excellent queen." His lips pressed together, stopping himself from saying any more.

Elsa looked back at him, watching him as he watched her, and nodded.

"Good bye, Prince Hans." With haste, she turned and darted away, her braid whipping over her shoulder.

Alone, the prince's posture fell as he released a deep breath. His head hung low while his eyes traced over the edges of the puddles at his feet, which he barely realized had started to frost.

"Good bye, my queen."


End file.
